I'll Be Alright
by Dream Painter
Summary: Sam is finally found after being missing for more than three months. She's safe now, isn't she? And after a little healing, she's fine. Right? SamJack. Epilogue posted, though I kinda like it better without. Choose your pick.
1. Chapter 1

**I'll Be Alright**

"SG-1 and 3 ready to continue the search, sir," Colonel Jack O'Neill told General Hammond as he entered the control room.

"Negative, Colonel," Hammond responded sadly.

"But, sir, Carter's still out there!" Jack protested.

"Major Carter has been MIA for nearly three months, Colonel, and as much as I hate to say it, we can no longer expend the resources of this facility to find her. I'm sorry, Jack." The general briefly put a hand on his subordinate's shoulder before leaving the room. Jack hung his head, doing his best to mask his utter disappointment.

"Jack?" Daniel hurried into the room with Teal'c close on his heels. "Are we ready to go?"

"We don't get to go, Daniel," Jack told them, exiting the room. Teal'c and Daniel followed.

"But Major Carter has not yet been found," the Jaffa pointed out.

"Yeah, well, apparently after three months of MIA, we can't continue the search anymore," the air force officer retorted sarcastically, bitterness edging his tone.

"I don't understand—why not?" Daniel demanded. "Sam has done just as much for this place as anyone . . . more, even!"

"Look, Daniel," Jack snapped, "it wasn't my decision, alright? I shouldn't have let her wander off by herself . . ."

_Flash Back _

"Sir," blond-haired Major Samantha Carter called, "I'm going to collect some samples from the creek down here."

"Alright, Carter," Jack returned. "Don't fall in."

"I won't, sir," she smiled. Jack leaned against one of the walls of the small gazebo-like structure and started to polish his gun. Daniel was translating a couple of tablets while Teal'c was patrolling the surrounding area. Gunshots from the direction in which Sam had disappeared rang through the air.

"Carter, what's going on?" Jack demanded over his radio as he and the others ran towards the creek. The radio clicked, but there was no verbal response. "CARTER?" he shouted. Teal'c was the first to reach the scene, followed by Jack and Daniel. Sam's pack was strewn on the ground, one of her samples still uncapped. Her radio and vest lay half in the water and her P-90 and zat gun lay carelessly discarded next to a tree.

"Sam?" Daniel called, a horrified look spreading across his face. Teal'c crouched to examine the footprints on the ground.

"Major Carter has been taken," he declared.

---

"Wait a minute," Daniel grabbed Jack's arm to make him look at him. "You think this is your fault? Jack—that's not true at all. If anyone is to blame, i-it's me."

"What are you talking about?" Jack demanded.

"Well, um . . . a portion of the text I translated warned that we could be in danger . . . ."

_--- _

_Flash Back _

"This is amazing," Daniel blurted aloud from where he studied three massive tablets. "This language is obviously a derivative of ancient Egyptian and Arabic, with some definite variations in sentence structure." Sam was collecting a soil sample just outside the gazebo as Jack and Teal'c secured the immediate vicinity.

"Anything useful?" O'Neill asked as he returned to the small structure.

"It's hard to say," the archaeologist replied, "it's difficult to make out."

"Well, keep trying," the colonel commanded. "I'll sit over here and be bored out of my skull."

"Sir," Sam called out. "I'm going to collect some samples from the creek down here."

"Alright, Carter—don't fall in."

"I won't, sir," the woman smiled as she followed the path down to the creek. Jack sat against a wall, polishing his gun to ward of the ensuing boredom. Daniel reread the line he had just completed.

"All who come here will be doomed . . ." he murmured to himself, confusion clouding his face. "I wonder what that's supposed to mean." Gunshots echoed from down by the creek. Jack jumped to his feet.

"Carter, what's going on?" he demanded over his radio as they ran to her aid.

---

"Don't be ridiculous," Jack ordered. "You'd just barely translated it—besides, for all you knew it was just some . . . superstition."

"Jack," Daniel started, but Teal'c interrupted him.

"O'Neill is right, Daniel Jackson," he intoned, "it is, in fact, I who am to blame." Jack and Daniel turned to look at him in surprise.

_ --- _

_ Flash Back _

"Teal'c, patrol the area," O'Neill commanded, not that the large Jaffa needed to be told. He headed back to the gazebo-like structure.

"This is amazing," Daniel was saying, "This language is obviously a derivative of ancient Egyptian and Arabic, with some definite variations in sentence structure."

"Anything useful?" O'Neill's voice faded as Teal'c got farther away. He journeyed into the foliage, carefully scanning his surroundings for any sign of potential danger. He stopped to examine a pair of tracks on the ground, but it had been several days since their owner had passed. He continued his patrol until he discovered the evidence of a long-since expired camp fire. As he crouched down to observe it closer, gun-shots reverberated through the timber from the direction of the creek.

"Carter, what's going on?" Col. O'Neill's voice demanded over the radio. Teal'c already sprinted towards the gunshots. The radio clicked once, but there was no verbal response.

---

The remaining members of SG-1 lapsed into silence, each blaming themselves and none believing any of the others were to blame.

"When's the last time you ate?" the grey-haired colonel wanted to know.

"Well, um . . . I-I don't remember," Daniel answered.

"Go get something to eat," Jack ordered. "Both of you."

"I am not hungry, O'Neill," Teal'c informed him.

"Eat anyway." Jack continued down the corridor.

"Um, Jack?" Daniel asked. "You gonna eat?"

"I'm not hungry," he growled.

_--- _

_A week later_

"Unscheduled off-world activation," Sergeant Harriman announced over the base intercom. Col. O'Neill rushed to the control room. Daniel and Teal'c were already there, along with General Hammond.

"It's SG-6, sir," the technician told him.

"Open the iris," he commanded, then turned to O'Neill, "SG-6 just left twenty minutes ago." SG-1 and Hammond rushed down to the gateroom as the four-man team stepped through the gate carrying something between them.

"Medical team to the gateroom," Harriman spoke into the intercom before he could be told to do so. The extra body they'd brought through with them was scarcely recognizable as a human being. The back of the tank top was ripped to shreds, exposing the lacerated skin beneath. Multiple bruises darkened the limbs, a pair of what had once been standard issue BDUs hung loosely about the skeleton-thin frame, and dirt mingled with blood matted the short hair. Dr. Janet Frasier hurried in with a gurney and her medical team.

"Carter?" Jack pushed his way to his 2IC's side as she was rushed through the corridors, scarcely recognizing the blackened face. "SAM?" He and the rest of SG-1 were left behind as Sam and the medical team entered the elevator.

---

"How is she?" O'Neill asked the moment Janet stepped from the isolation room in which her medical team had been with his second in command for several hours.

"She's in critical condition," the woman answered, tears glistening in her eyes. "In all honesty, sir, I'm not sure if she'll make it."

"What do you mean?" Jack demanded. "We've all been through worse—right?" The doctor shook her head.

"She was badly beaten, Colonel, and not just once. She has multiple concussions and skull fractures, broken ribs, a pierced lung, acute hypothermia as well as pneumonia in both lungs, and more than one kind of infection in her wounds," Janet told him.

"No . . ." he uttered, resisting what he knew could only be true. He closed his eyes as they flooded with tears.

"Colonel, that's not all," the doctor spoke up, refusing to meet his gaze. "Major Carter was also raped—probably multiple times . . . She can't have any visitors, yet. I'm sorry." Janet hurried to the solitude of her office as Jack made his way to the observation room. He felt like vomiting as he gazed down at his teammate through the window.

"I'm so sorry . . ." he whispered huskily as the tears streamed down his face. "It's all my fault . . . ."

---

"It's all my fault," Dr. Daniel Jackson thought as he sat in the briefing room with Jack, Teal'c, Gen. Hammond, and Janet.

"Major Carter's condition is worsening," the air force doctor was telling them. "Without the assistance of a healing device, she has little, if any, chance of survival. Has anyone been able to contact Jacob or the other Tok'ra?"

"We've made several attempts, but there has been no success," Hammond replied. "How long does she have?"

"Her system can shut down at any moment, she doesn't have more 24 hours, sir," Janet answered sadly. Jack put a hand to his head as Daniel bit his lip and General Hammond stared down at his laced fingers. Teal'c, a determined expression on his face, stood and left the room.

_To be continued . . ._  



	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"Sam?" the voice was gargled and clear and loud and faint all the same time. "Sam? Can you hear me?" Janet gently stroked her friend's cheek.

"Her body was badly damaged," Selmak was saying, "the device was unable to heal her completely. She could still die."

"If she doesn't wake up soon, she'll die anyway," the doctor told him. Jacob looked away as tears filled his eyes.

"Janet . . ." the lips moved, barely emitting a sound. "Janet?" the voice was scarcely a whisper.

"Sam," Dr. Frasier leaned over her patient. The eyelids opened slowly, blinking slightly as Sam tried to focus her blurred vision. "How many fingers am I holding up?"

"Two," the blonde answered.

"Hey, Sam," a gentle voice spoke her name as another face took the place of Janet's in her narrow field of vision. For a moment, she saw the face of her captor. As fear gripped her heart, she blinked again, seeing that it was Jacob.

"Dad . . ." she murmured, relief soothing her expression.

"Hang in there, kid," he told her. "Keep fighting and you'll be alright." He kissed her softly on the forehead.

"The healing device . . ." she breathed. Jacob shook his head.

"I already used it. Your body will have to do the rest itself."

"It hurts . . . so much . . ." her forehead creased in agony. Jacob looked to Janet for assistance.

"I can increase her morphine drip a little," the woman replied.

"Thank you," the man sighed, then carefully squeezed Sam's hand. "Hang in there, kid." The air force major struggled to keep her eyes open for fear that she was just having another dream.

"Janet . . ." her voice was edged with panic. "Janet!"

"I'm here, Sam," Janet took her hand. "You're safe." Sam met her concerned gaze, trying to sense anything that would alert her to this new lie. Before she could come to a conclusion she slipped back into a drugged unconsciousness.

---

"Hey," Jack spoke softly as he entered the isolation room. Major Carter turned her head to look at him.

"Sir," she responded.

"Feeling any better?" he asked, taking a seat on a stool beside the bed.

"A little bit," Sam answered quietly, managing a small smile.

"Look—I'll never forgive myself for what happened to you," the man declared, a lump forming in his throat. Sam looked away.

"You shouldn't!" she thought viciously, but said, "Sir, you can't blame yourself for what happened."

"Still," Jack insisted. The major bit her lip as it began to tremble.

"Why did it take so long for someone to find me?" she whispered as tears welled up in her eyes.

"The people who did this took you to another planet," Jack answered grimly, feeling like a total failure. "We had no way of knowing—it was a good thing SG-6 found you on their last mission . . . . Carter, I'm sorry."

"I'm fine, sir," she replied, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. "I'd like to get some sleep now."

"Okay," the man nodded as he stood to his feet. "Let me know if you need anything."

"Yes, sir." Sam pressed her head back into the pillow, closing her eyes as she did so. She suddenly cried out in pain. "Don't do this!" she pleaded as she was thrown to the ground. She cried out again as a torture rod was touched to the back of her neck.

"You are resilient for a woman," her captor, an unfeeling, non-descript man, said as he sat in his chair. He motioned to one of his guards and the man removed Major Carter's BDU jacket. "I hear you tried to escape," he spoke again. "That will not be tolerated." He gave a nod and one of the men brought a whip down upon the woman's back.

"Argh! Oh, my word—oh gosh! Make it stop! Please stop!" Sam cried at the top of her lungs, tossing violently, tears streaming down her face.

"Sam?" a pair of hands gently took her by the shoulders. "Sam, you're having a nightmare. It's not real—you're safe. Sam, can you hear me? You're back on Earth, at the SGC."

"Janet?" the blonde gasped, her eyes opening as she looked around in panic at her surroundings.

"I'm right here," the red-head soothed, putting a hand on Sam's cheek. The blonde looked at her.

"This is real," Sam whispered. "You're really here. I'm here. Along with the colonel and Daniel and Teal'c . . . ."

"That's right," the doctor nodded.

"It seemed so real . . . . My word, Janet, I thought I'd never escape."

"But you did. And you're safe—no one's going to hurt you, alright?" Sam nodded slightly, her breath still coming in erratic gasps.

"Okay."

---

_Some time later . . ._

Sam sat in the bed reading a book with surprisingly little success due to the fact that the words kept dancing about the page. Aggravated, she thrust the book across the room and then winced as the sudden movement jostled her ribcage. She sucked in a breath that came out in a fit of coughing.

"Are you alright, Major Carter?" Teal'c inquired as he entered the room. Sam smiled at him, blinking to get rid of the blur that outlined his muscular figure.

"Yeah, just a bit of a cold, now," she told him. "I'm getting used to the incessant headaches—a couple more weeks and my ribs will stop hurting, too."

"You still do not look well," he told her honestly. The woman gave a small laugh.

"Well, Janet says she's got to fatten me up," she said. "I haven't weighed this little since I was a kid." At her prompting, the large Jaffa sat down in a nearby chair.

"Major Carter," Teal'c spoke with a slight intensity, "I wish to apologize for what has happened to you."

"Teal'c," she assured him, "it's like I told the colonel and Daniel—it's not your fault. I don't blame you." _Only Jack_. Teal'c nodded in reply before rising to his feet.

"I will come and visit you again," he promised.

"Alright," Major Carter smiled, "I'll be looking forward to it." She laid back on her pillow, blinking as she weakly attempted to resist her tiredness.

"You don't look well." Sam's head jerked in the direction of the voice, as she rose slowly from the damp dirt floor. A man crouched beyond the rusted bars of her cell, a bowl in his hands.

"Here," he spoke again, "Eat." Suspiciously, she took the food from him.

"Is this some kind of trick?" she finally asked, a hollow ache behind her clear blue eyes.

"No," he answered. "No, it's not. I—I'm not going to take advantage of you or, or drug you or anything like that. I'm not going to hurt you. I want to help . . . ."

"Do you really mean that?" the air force major demanded.

"Y-yes," he stammered, surprised by her sudden brashness. She leaned in closer to him.

"Then get me out of here," she whispered pleadingly, tears welling in her eyes.

"I wish I could, but-but I can't," the man told her, tears beginning to fill his own eyes. "I can't . . . . May I ask your name, anyway?"

"It's Sam," she answered; though, she wasn't sure why she had. He'd already refused to help her without giving any explanation.

"Sam," he repeated softly, hesitantly putting out a hand to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "Sam . . . _Sam_. Sam—can you hear me?" Major Carter blinked in surprise as a face appeared overhead.

"Sorry, Daniel," she said softly. "I must've dozed off."

"I didn't know you were asleep, your eyes were wide open," the archaeologist returned apologetically.

"Don't worry about it," she told him. "I'd rather stay awake, anyway."

"Nightmares?" he asked. She met his gaze.

"Yeah," she answered. "I keep going back there. I'm not entirely sure what's real and what's not. When I was there, I kept dreaming that I was here and now that I'm here . . . ."

"You're afraid that this is still a dream?" Daniel guessed.

"Yeah," Sam nodded. "I am."


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: What's "really" happening to Sam and her "dream" sequences are supposed to run together.

**Chapter 3**

Sam's eyelids fluttered open, revealing the sky blue irises beneath. She let out a moan. Her body ached and she shuddered as she remembered the reasons why.

"The bastards," she muttered, doing her best to fight back the tears that stung her eyes. Didn't they have any regard for human life? Sitting up, she winced in discomfort. Her ribs were bruised from her most recent beating. At least she hadn't been whipped again. Not, yet, anyway . . .

"I can't believe it was just a dream," the air force major whispered to herself. "It seemed so real—I felt so safe . . . But, they'll come for me, I know they will. The colonel wouldn't leave like this. Gosh, Jack—where are you?" The blonde leaned carefully against the stone wall of her cell, allowing her eyes to fall shut.

"You're very strong." Sam's eyes flew open when she heard the voice. She glared at the man who stood beyond the rusted bars.

"What do you want?" she demanded, directing her gaze towards the barred window. From what she'd been able to tell, her prison was partially underground and her window was about a foot above the ground outside. Now, if she could only get the bars off.

"Nothing," the man replied. "I just don't want to see you hurt anymore." Sam rose to her feet and stalked to the bars.

"You keep saying that, Garin, but you never do a damn thing to help," she hissed. "Now, I want to know why."

"I—I just can't, I'm sorry, Sam," Garin stammered, turning to leave.

"No, wait!" Sam called after him. "You can't leave me like this! Just do something—anything! You gotta help me," she cried. "Please, help me. Help me . . . help me. You gotta help me . . . Help—please . . ."

"Sam?" a gentle pair of hands cupped her face. "Sam, it's me, Janet. You're having another nightmare. Sam, can you hear me?" Sam opened her eyes.

"Janet?" she whispered.

"There . . . that's better," the doctor murmured soothingly, smoothing back the major's hair. "I'm here for you—you know that, right?" The blonde nodded. "Good."

"Janet," Sam reached out and grabbed her friend's arm as she turned to go.

"Sam?"

"Don't leave. Not yet. Just," she blinked back the tears that threatened to come, "Stay with me awhile."

"Okay," her friend agreed. Sam sat up in the bed and hugged her knees to her chest. "Are you alright?" Janet asked.

"Yeah, it's just—the nightmares, they're hard to shake," the blonde answered. "They seem so real—so vivid. My word, Janet I just kept wondering what if Ja—the others never find me? What if I die here? I just keep thinking that I'm gonna wake up, really wake up, and find that I haven't escaped at all . . ." She squeezed her eyes shut at the thought and Janet put a hand on her shoulder.

"You're gonna be alright," the doctor told her. "I have to go, I have other patients. I'll send someone to sit with you, okay?" Her patient nodded and she got up to leave.

"Janet?" Sam spoke suddenly.

"Yes?" Janet turned to face her.

"Could you—I mean, do you think you could get Colonel O'Neill?" The red-head nodded.

"I think I can do that," she smiled. The blonde rested her chin on her knees, releasing a gentle sigh. "How long must I wait?" she whispered bewilderedly to herself, blinking in shock as she realized that she was back in the cell. "Oh, gosh, Jack, where are you?" The blue-eyed major shook her head. Something was not right. She'd already experienced this moment—already survived it! Hadn't she? Why was she back here? Slowly rising to her feet, she walked up to the rusted bars. She'd already escaped, and barely, at that. Garin had explained to her that he had family and it was to protect them from his heartless master that he was unable to do much to help her. Any moment now he would bring her a knife blade with which to loosen the bars on the window. A small token of good faith.

"This isn't happening," Sam murmured to herself as she glanced down at her hands. "I should barely be able to stand . . . I'd be in too much pain." She turned to look back at the three stone walls and earthen floor. "By this point I would have been here for almost two months—I would know every crack in these walls . . . why don't I?"

"Sam." The woman turned to face the speaker. "You're awake, how are you holding up?"

"Garin. I'm okay," she answered slowly, turning to face him. "In fact, I feel perfectly fine. Except, I was made to believe that I had been whipped and beaten and raped, but I haven't been touched at all!" Her voice steadily rose in volume. "You know what else? I have a pretty damn good memory, but for some reason, though I've seen your master face to face numerous times, I couldn't describe him for the life of me. In fact, you're the only person I don't already know! Now, where am I?" She shouted the last part.

"Carter," Jack took her by the shoulders, "you're in the infirmary, back on Earth." She pulled away from him, shaking her head.

"No," the blonde countered. "This isn't real."

"She's in denial," Janet said, entering the room and hurrying towards her patient. Sam held up a hand and she halted. The major turned her gaze to her CO.

"Sir," she began hesitantly, "none of this is real."

"Carter, what are you talking about?"

"What did you do last week?"

"Ate, slept, worked," O'Neill shrugged, obviously confused.

"But you don't actually remember doing any of it?" Carter asked skeptically.

"No, I guess I've been too worried about you to notice," the man replied.

"Sir, I wasn't really hurt."

"What?"

"Look at me—there's not a single new scar on my body, I'm not anorexic like I should be, and my ribs don't hurt at all. In fact, my hair hasn't grown—it has been nearly five months since my last haircut and my hair hasn't grown a bit. For Pete's sake, my legs are still shaved!" Sam looked at him and realization dawned upon her face. "You're not real, either . . ."

"You're a very clever woman, Samantha Carter," Garin spoke, stepping towards her as the infirmary melted away and they stood alone in a darkened void. "This is the fifth scenario you have figured out. Though, you don't remember that right now, of course. Fascinating . . ."

"Who are you?" Sam demanded, noticing that she was once more dressed in BDUs.

"Well, I do go by Garin," the man told her, shrugging. "I'm a bit of a nobody, really. Don't have a family or real responsibilities of any sort, so I go about amusing myself."

"By messing with my head?"

"Oh, don't flatter yourself. You're not the only experiment I have. I have several others," he began to circle about her. "But you . . . you're very special. You are the only one who has ever picked up on the flaws in my delusions. Congratulations. Very intriguing."

"Where are my friends?" the woman wanted to know. She glared daggers at him.

"Unfortunately, they retreated before I could collect them. Oh, don't look at me that way—I wish as much as you do that they had stayed longer," he shook his head sadly as he stopped his circling. "Now this one you call Jack O'Neill—a fine specimen, by the way—what makes you have such strong feelings for him?"

"He's my friend and our lives depend on each other everyday," Sam told him.

"No," Garin contradicted. "It's more than that. You are most definitely in love with the man. You see, in the three scenarios in which you were horrendously maltreated and came near death, your feelings manifested themselves as a strong resentment towards him due to the fact that he had failed to rescue you. And in the other two scenarios . . . well, as your race would say, you were practically all over him." Sam took a step towards him, but found that he remained just as far away.

"What are you?" she finally asked.

"Why, a giver and seeker of inspiration," Garin replied with a smug smile, "a muse."

---

_SGC_

"What happened?" Colonel Jack O'Neill demanded, entering the gateroom as the four conscious members of SG-6 gingerly carried their bleeding comrade down the ramp.

"She slipped and fell into a ravine," the leader answered, clearly blaming himself. Janet and her med team hurried in with a gurney and rushed the injured woman to the infirmary. General Hammond gave Jack a slight nod, knowing that the man had hoped SG-6 would bring news of Carter.

"Get cleaned up," he told the newly returned team. "I expect you all in the briefing room in fifteen minutes." The four teammates started towards the locker room.

"Lindsay," the captain turned to the youngest member, a new recruit to the SGC, and nodded towards Jack. She took a step towards him.

"Colonel O'Neill," the airman said softly, fingering something in her calloused hands. "We found this in the ravine, close to where Niter fell." She handed him the object. It was an arm patch with three symbols embroidered in its dense fabric: SG-1.

_To be continued . . ._

A/N: I totally did not plan on this story taking that kind of a twist, so if ya'll hate it, let me know and I'll go back and fix it! Review! Review! Meanwhile, I'm gonna get a bigger stove . . .

**Response(s):**

Gater62 and Mara-anni—Love manifests itself in strange ways . . . (plus, her mind's been messed with)


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Hey, just thought I'd drop a note to help clear up a few things. The first part of the story all the way up until SG-6 came back and Harriman called for a med team is what actually happened to the other members of SG-1. From the moment Harriman called for the med team until Garin steps forward and says "You're a clever woman" is all a delusion. After that, it's all reality again. Well, sorta. Anyway, on with the tale . . .

**Chapter 4**

The two SG teams hurried towards the gate room. The members of SG-1 were practically running in their urgency, while SG-5 calmly matched their pace. Realizing the significance of finding an SG-1 arm patch on another planet, General Hammond almost immediately authorized a search in the hopes of finding Major Carter. Lt. Col. Ken Morgan, of SG-6, had joined them.

"The ravine would be the most likely place to start, sir," the leader of SG-6 told Col. O'Neill. The man nodded as he adjusted his hat. Daniel cleaned his glasses, while Teal'c stared at the gate as the water-like puddle splashed out at them.

"SG teams 1 and 5, you have a go," Hammond announced. "Bring back some good news." The eight people in the room below moved up the ramp and through the open stargate.

---

"I still don't understand why you're doing this," blue-eyed Major Samantha Carter told the muse who still stood before her. He smiled smugly. He was good at that.

"For the same reason you travel the stars, Samantha Carter," he told her, waving his hand and causing a star chart to appear, "curiosity. It's what makes the universe go around, really. Curiosity, that is. I mean, could you imagine if people never asked any questions, never explored, never tried anything new? Why, our entire existence would likely come to a halt. I, personally, don't intend on letting that happen." Garin chuckled.

"This isn't my real body, is it?" Sam asked, looking down at herself.

"No, it is merely how you remember yourself," he answered matter-of-factly (for the most part, muses were always matter-of-fact). "Take a walk with me." He began to walk along and reluctantly Sam joined him. She found it strange that though they were moving, their surroundings remained unchanged.

"So, you're a muse," she began. "What exactly is that?"

"Well," said Garin, seemingly pleased to be talking of himself, "as I mentioned before, I'm a giver and seeker of inspiration—knowledge, if you will. We're thought to be among the most brilliant creatures in the universe. That is, amongst ourselves," here, he laughed, "most other beings are entirely unaware of our existence, unless we reveal ourselves to them, as I am now revealing myself to you."

"Is that what you really look like?" the astrophysicist asked, motioning at his being.

"No!" he exclaimed, coming to a halt. "I look like nothing, unless I deem it necessary. True, this is my favorite form, but muses are intangible, just like a thought or an idea is intangible. Is this what I look like?" he shook his head, laughing to himself.

"What exactly does that mean?" Sam honestly wanted to know.

"Dear me, how to explain so you can understand," Garin murmured to himself. "We just have no physical form—our molecules move too quickly for you to be aware of them. Much like you must be de-molecularized in order to travel through the Stargate, my molecules must be solidified to allow interaction with other beings."

"Really?" Sam tilted her head to the side as she pondered something. Then she swung her arm out, only mildly surprised when it passed through him. Garin sighed and rolled his eyes.

"We're in your head right now."

---

Six of the SGC personnel had climbed down into the ravine to search while the other two kept watch at the gate. Jack, Daniel, and Teal'c were searching near where the arm patch had been found while the other three searched elsewhere.

"Col. Morgan said that they had searched here," Teal'c said, "perhaps we should search farther down the ravine." O'Neill nodded his agreement, but said nothing. His mind was on one thing: Carter. He had to find Carter.

---

"You said you had other experiments," Sam said as she sat upon a chair that had materialized in the void.

"All different kinds," Garin replied. "You're the only one I have in stasis, however. The others are merely toying with ideas for inventions of mine." He straightened his shoulders and grinned. "I came up with them myself. Pity, credit is never given where it is due. But then, I needn't perform any of the work, either, so I suppose it is fair enough."

"Wait a minute—you give your ideas to other beings?"

"Yes, of course," he was matter-of-fact again. "I'm a muse, that's what we do—give and seek inspiration. By giving we often gain more, unless, of course, it's a total nitwit we lend an idea to."

"So this," the blonde said, "what you're doing to me, is just one of the ways you gather inspiration?"

"Yes. You're unharmed, in fact, you won't remember a thing. Though, you may be unusually skittish for awhile." He shrugged.

"Alright," Sam stood and the chair disappeared. "You mentioned that there had been two other scenarios that were different than this last one . . ."

"Ah, yes," Garin grinned cheekily. "Would you like to see one?" The woman hesitated.

"Yes, please," she finally replied. The scenario, as Garin called it, appeared before them.

---

"O'Neill! Daniel Jackson!" Teal'c called from several feet away. "I believe I have found something!" The two ran towards their teammate.

---

"How did you make me do that?" Sam asked uncomfortably, turning away from the scene in embarrassment.

"I didn't make you do anything," Garin replied. "I simply molded the situation to which you responded. If you truly know this Jack O'Neill as well as you think you do, this scenario could very well happen in real life."

"Not a chance," the air force major began.

"Yes, of course, there's all sorts of rules and regulations prohibiting such behavior," the muse interrupted. "That's what you said both times when you figured out it was all a delusion."

"How long have I been here, exactly?" she suddenly inquired.

"Approximately three and a half of your months," Garin answered. "Why do you ask?"

"Three and a half months?!" she exclaimed.

"Yes, you played along for quite some time when you believed you were injured," he told her. She opened her mouth to say something, but he held up a silencing hand. "More of your kind have found the chamber," he spoke suddenly.

"They have?"

"Oh, yes, it would seem that your love hasn't let you down after all." Sam blushed, and then became angry.

"Don't you dare lay a hand on them!" she threatened, silently thinking how futile her threat truly was.

"I've no interest in doing so," Garin said.

"Y-you don't?" the woman stammered in surprise.

"Absolutely not," he responded, as though offended. "I'll be sorting through all I've gathered from you for days, and quite frankly, I've tired of this method of collecting for the time. You're white knight shall rescue you and you shan't remember a thing."

"Nothing?" she asked.

"Nothing at all," the muse grinned, then waved her off. "Shoo, now, he's trying to wake you."

---

As soon as they had clear the doorway, Jack rushed into the small room, Teal'c and Daniel right behind him. Against the far wall was some sort of stasis pod in which Sam lay.

"Daniel, how do I open this?" the colonel demanded, searching for a switch or something.

"I-I don't know," the sandy-haired archaeologist responded. The three teammates looked for anything that might help. Suddenly, the pod opened, releasing a cool mist as it did so.

"Carter?" Jack said softly, tentatively reaching out and feeling her pulse. It was strong and steady. "Sam? Can you hear me?" he spoke a little louder, cupping her face in his rough but gentle hands.

"O'Neill," Teal'c said, but he saw it too: movement beneath the eyelids. The petite, blond-haired major took a deep breath and then her eyes fluttered open.

"Jack," she said as she looked up into his gentle brown eyes.

"Sam," a relieved smile began to creep across his face. Sam sat up and looked at her surroundings.

"Daniel? Teal'c? Sir?" she asked. "Where am I? Weren't we just . . ."

"You were kidnapped," Daniel replied. "You must've been in this . . . pod ever since."

"How long was I missing?" the blue-eyed major demanded.

"Uh . . . we'll tell you that later," Jack said. "Right now, we'd better get you back so Doc Frasier can have a look at you." He handed his gun to Teal'c before helping his second-in-command to her feet. The four teammates exited the small chamber.

"Whoa!" Sam exclaimed, squinting as the sunlight suddenly hit her eyes.

"Are you okay?" Daniel asked.

"I'll be alright," she answered. They moved along the floor of the ravine. Jack still had his arm wrapped around her waist, though she could have walked just fine on her own. She smiled to herself, and then suddenly shook her head.

"What?" Jack wanted to know.

"I don't know," Sam said, looking around as though trying to spot something. "It just seems like somebody's been messing with my head . . ."

"Perhaps, with time, you will remember," Teal'c suggested as they continued along.

"Perhaps not," Garin said. He was grinning smugly to himself.

---

End.

A/N: That's it for this story. Let me know what you thought! Review! Review! Review!


	5. Epilogue

A/N: Several mornings ago, Garin gave me a nudge (more like, shove) and said, "You fool! You can't end the story there!" Though, he'd never mention the fact that he was the one who told me to end there in the first place. I should've stuck with plot bunnies, they're far less aggressive. (Garin glares at Dream Painter. "I am NOT aggressive—I just get things done!")

Anyway, by popular demand, a final conclusion to the story . . .

Oh, and Sam doesn't have sky blue pupils. (Oops.) I have gone back and changed that to irises.

**Chapter 5**

Strong but gentle arms caressed Sam's body as she wrapped her arms about her lover's neck. Moonlight streamed through the window, mildly illuminating the darkened room. Their lips (and tongues, I daresay) met for a moment, before he proceeded to plant kisses along the nape of her neck that sent shivers through her body.

"I love you, Sam," he whispered passionately.

"I love you, too, Jack . . ."

The lamp at the bedside suddenly came on as Major Samantha Carter sat up in her bed, breathing erratically.

"Okay," she murmured to herself. "That never happened." She felt her neck, as though expecting to find hickies there. The dream had seemed so real, more like a memory, but it had to be a dream. Right? "What is happening to me?" she muttered. She looked about her on-base quarters. It had been two weeks since Jack and the others had brought her back from the planet, and she still didn't remember anything. Well, at least not anything definite. Pulling on some clothes, she then made her way to the commissary. Maybe some coffee and a shower would help clear her mind. She was up anyway, so she might as well get around for the day, she reasoned.

As she walked down the corridor, it suddenly morphed into a dank and dirty hall lit with smoldering torches. Two men held her firmly by the arms, moving her towards a destination to which she didn't want to go. The floor was so dirty it looked like it was made of dirt. Or maybe it was, she couldn't tell. _What is this place? _She wondered. Suddenly, she ran into something.

"Oh, my word," she gasped, snapping out of her reverie as someone took her firmly by the shoulders.

"Carter, you alright?" a concerned voice questioned. She looked up into a familiar face.

"Jack," she sighed in relief.

"Jack?" he repeated.

"I mean, sir," Sam corrected herself.

"Are you okay?" O'Neill asked again.

"I keep having these strange flashes of this . . . place. It's like I've been there, but I know I've never seen it before," she shook her head then looked at him. "Sir, what are doing up so early?"

"Carter, it's 7:30 in the morning," he told her.

"It is?" she glanced down at her watch. "But the clock in my quarters said it was . . ."

"The clock in your quarters has had dead batteries for the past month."

"Oh. I guess I'd better get around, then." They continued towards their respective destinations. "Sir?" Sam spoke suddenly, turning to face him.

"Yeah?" his eyes met hers.

"Did—well, did something . . . happen between us?" the question came out awkwardly, but Jack didn't seem to notice.

"Not what I'd like to happen between us," he thought, but said, "I don't think so. Why?"

"No reason," she responded, hurrying on her way. "Just been fantasizing about you, sir," she thought.

"Hey, Carter," Jack called.

"Yes, sir?"

"Don't forget the briefing at 8."

"Oh, yeah . . . thanks."

---

_A few hours later_

SG-1 stepped from the shimmering event horizon into the remains of what had once been some sort of large building. Probably a temple, Daniel had guessed. As they began to secure the immediate area, which happened to be a very large room, Major Carter suddenly cocked her weapon. The rest of the team turned to face her.

"Carter?" Colonel O'Neill queried.

"It's nothing," the woman answered, disarming her weapon and turning on the safety. "I thought I heard something, but it was just another flash, sir." The guys exchanged some looks amongst themselves, but said nothing. Sam had been unusually jumpy since they'd brought her back.

"Alright," Jack said, "Daniel, Teal'c, you guys take that corridor, Carter and I will take this one. Stay in radio contact." Teal'c nodded his understanding as he and Daniel disappeared down one of the two main hallways leading from the room in which they stood. Jack and Sam headed down another, carefully searching for anything that might be significant. Several times, the blonde jumped, pointing her gun in the direction of a remembered sound, but there was nothing there. The two air force officers followed the hall until it ended in a small room. Still nothing.

"They could have at least decorated the place," Jack murmured as he looked about. There was a skylight in the ceiling and a window high up in the wall. "Alright, let's head back," he said.

"Sir," Sam spoke suddenly, "can I tell you something entirely off-the-record?" He looked at her.

"Yes . . ." he answered slowly as he turned to face her.

"Well, you see," she began, walking towards him. "I keep having these flashes, and they're mostly of these horrible things and this, this terrible, terrible place, but some of them . . . aren't. I guess what I'm trying to say—you see," she stopped just in front of him, trying to put her thoughts into words. "Well, the best way to tell you is this." With that, the blue-eyed major pressed her lips to his. Jack's eyes widened for a moment and then he returned the kiss, wrapping his arms around her and pressing her body against his. After a moment, she pulled back, gazing into his gentle brown eyes.

"Is that all you wanted to tell me, Major?" he murmured softly, caressing the side of her face with one of his hands.

"Yes, sir," she whispered, looking away as her face reddened.

"Did you guys find anything?" Daniel asked when they returned to the Stargate room. They'd taken an awful long time.

"No, it's just a bunch of hallways and empty rooms," Sam answered. The archaeologist tilted his head. Her hair looked messier than it had before . . .

"We tried to contact you on the radio," Teal'c intoned, "but you did not answer."

"I clicked," Jack said, "didn't you hear me click?"

"Indeed," the Jaffa didn't look satisfied with this answer.

"Great," their leader grinned, "Daniel, dial us home." Daniel wordlessly complied, giving them both odd expressions. Jack and Teal'c followed the MALP through the gate first leaving Daniel and Sam to follow.

"Are you sure you're okay?" the man asked his friend skeptically. She smiled at him.

"Oh, yeah," she replied. "Don't worry about me—I'll be alright." As she stepped into the shimmering event horizon, Daniel blinked in surprise. He could've sworn he had seen some sort of welt near the base of her neck . . .

---

A/N: Alright, there's my attempt at a decent epilogue for the story. If any of you didn't like it, please consider the story ended where it originally ended. Anyhow, let me know what you thought.

Until next time, Dream Painter.


End file.
